Reinforced triangular guide track



Sept. 27, 1960 L. w. TAYLOR REINFORCED TRIANGULAR GUIDE TRACK Filed July31, 1958 by forward and rearward braces.

United States Patent Office 2,953,864 Patented Sept-27, 1960 REINFORCEDTRIANGULAR GUIDE TRACK Lester W. Taylor, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor toAllis- Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed July 31, 1958, Ser. No. 752,212

3 Claims. (Cl. 37--129) This invention relates to earth movers and moreparticularly to an earth mover having a reinforced hollow triangularsection guide track.

In this type of vehicle there is provided a wheel supported main earthreceiving bowl substantially closed at one end by an ejector. Theejector is movable through the bowl in a forwarddirection to dischargeearth from the bowl over a leading cutting edge and in a rearwarddirection to its original position at the rear end of the bowl. Theejector includes an extension having a carriage which houses threerollers. The ejector, extension and carriage move as a unit through thebowl with the three rollers housed in the carriage correspondinglypositioned to operate along the three sides formed by a triangularsection track. The track is positioned midway between the laterallyopposite sides of the ejector and positively orients the rectilinearreciprocating movement of the ejector through the bowl.

The users of earth moving vehicles are demanding a scraper having agreater load carrying .capacity so that more earth may be moved in agiven period of time than heretofore experienced. The scraper industryhas met this demand by increasing the overall size of the scraper, andhas correspondingly been confronted with the problem of reducing theoverall weight of the scraper and its total cost. From time to time thescraper industry has reduced the weight of the structural members usedin the scraper and in turn reduced its cost.

Previously it had been common practice to use a solid beam as a track toguide the ejectors reciprocating move ment through the bowl. This solidbeam was costly to make, considerably heavy and also required a numberof braces to support it. As shown in the patent to L. L. Hyler et al.,US. 2,565,850, August 28, 1951 it was found that by using a hollow trackto guide the ejectors move ment through the bowl the weight of the trackand number of braces could be reduced.

Although this method of using a hollow track enabled the scraperindustry to reduce the weight of the scraper and its cost, a problemarose in that as the ejector forces earth from the bowl a considerableamount of weight which is directed through the rollers is placed uponthe hollow track. This weight causes the sides of the hollow track todeflect as the ejector reciprocates through the bowl. These deflectionsof the sides of the track would cause an undesirable horizontal yaw asthe ejector moved through the bowl. This condition permits some of theearth that is to be ejected from the bowl to slip between the ejector atopposite sides and the inner side wall of the bowl causing the ejectorto bind and resulting in unnecessary strains to be placed upon theejector. Also this condition of having a horizontal yaw as the ejectormoves forward through the bowl allowed some of the earth to slipcompletely past the ejectors sides thereby resulting in an incompleteejection of earth from the bowl.

Also as shown in the patent to L. L. Hyler et al., 2,565,850, the hollowtriangular section track is supported Continual operation of the ejectorover the hollow track would cause the track to weaken and when theweight of the ejector and extension is located between the forward andrearward braces supporting the track, the track would tend to deflectcausing the lower edge of the ejector to scrapethe bottom of the bowlresulting in unnecessary wearing of parts.

Therefore it is a general object of my invention to provide a reinforcedhollow triangular section track that is rigid, light in weight,economical to produce and facilitates the ejectors rectilinear movementthrough the bowl.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a reinforcedtriangular section track that positively orients the ejectorsrectilinear movement through the bowl so that a complete ejection of theearth contained in the bowl will be permitted.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a triangular sectiontrack having an internal reinforcement for reinforcing the sides of thetriangular section track thereby preventing any deflections of the sidesof the track as the ejector reciprocates through the bowl.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a hollow triangularsection track that is internally reinforced directly opposite andadjacent the path on which the rollers operate.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be evidentwhen the following description is read in conjunction with which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a scraper embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top section view cut at line II-II of Fig. 1 embodying theinvention; and

Fig, 3 is a rear section view out at line IIIIII of Fig. 1 embodying theinvention.

Referring to Fig. 1 this invention is embodied in a scraper unit of anearth mover which includes a main bowl frame 8, with a bottom 9, and apair of support wheels 15. A yoke 11 has a pair of side arms 12 whichare pivotally connected by pivot pins 13 to side walls 14 of the bowlframe 8. The yoke 11 of the scraper unit connects the bowl frame 8 to asuitable tractor unit, not shown.

An apron 20 includes a pair of rearwardly extending arms 22 which arepivotally connected to an ejector 25 by pins 23. The apron operates toand from a lower position adjacent a leading cutting edge 21 wherein itcloses the otherwise open forward end of the bowl frame 8, to a partlyopened position for allowing earth to fill the bowl when the bowl is inthe loading position and thence to an upper position away from theleading cutting edge 21 wherein the bowl is completely open at theforward end.

The ejector 25, which includes a rearward extension 26, is movablebetween a rearward loading position wherein it constitutes a wallclosing the otherwise open end of the bowl and a forward positionadjacent to the leading cutting edge 21. The ejector is connected to andsupported by a pair of side supporting rollers 27 by pivot pins 28. Therollers 27 operate along tracks 33 which are integral with side walls14, respectively. The fore and aft movement of the ejector isestablished by a double acting hydraulic ram 35 which is pivotallyconnected at its opposite ends to the ejector and bowl frame,respectively.

Referring also to Fig. 3, the rearward extension 26 of the ejector 25includes a carriage 36. The carriage 36 is fabricated by welding pairsof'rectangular shaped roller supports 37, 38 and 39, respectively, to averticallydisposed front member 40 and a rear member 41. The carriageincludes three rollers 42, 43 and 44 housed between supports 37, 38 and39, respectively, whichare the accompanying drawings, in

carried on the supports by pivot pins 45, 46 and 47, respectively.

To positively orient the ejectors reciprocating movement through thebowl a hollow triangular section track 50 is provided. The track 50 isformed by an angle member 51 having a pair of flanges 52 that are joinedsubstantially at right angles to one another and a rectangular shapedplate member 53 which is welded at its opposite sides to the flanges 52.Member 51 may be a length of angle iron or may be fabricated fromseparate plates.

Referring also to Fig. 2 the track 50 is supported at its forward end bya pair of forward braces 54 and 56 extending from the bowl frame 8. Therear end of the track 50 is secured to a plate member 57 which in turnis secured as by welding to a channel member 53 welded at its lower endto braces 59, 61 and at its upper end to a transverse bowl frame member62 having its opposite ends connected to bowl frame members 63. Thetriangular track 56 forms three sides 64, 65 and 66 on which rollers 42,43 and 44 operate, respectively. The ejector 25, extension 26 andcarriage 36 operate as a unit as the e ector moves through the bowl.

To reinforce the hollow triangular section track, thereby preventingexcessive deflections in the sides of the track an angle member '70 iswelded therein. The angle member 70 extends the length of the track andincludes an apex or heel 71 and a pair of flanges 72 extending atsubstantially right angles to one another. The flanges 72 of anglemember 70, respectively, are welded midway between the opposite ends ofthe inner sides of the track and opposite the path on which the rollersoperate- The angle bar 70 also increases the rigidity of the track sothat when the weight of the ejector and extension is located between theforward braces 54, 56 and the channel member 58, the bottom edge of theejector will remain flush with the bottom of the bowl.

A side of a plate member 74 is welded to the outside of the triangulartrack 50 along the heel or apex of angle member 51. As shown in Fig. 3,the track is positioned so that the apex of the triangular track 50having the platcei member 74 connected thereto is pointing downwar Whenthe bowl has been completelyfilled withearth and is ready for unloading,the hydraulic ram 35 is expanded thereby moving the ejector forwardthrough the bowl. The ejector moves forward on side support rollers 27which operate along tracks 33 and on rollers 42, 43 and 44 which operatealong the sides of triangular section track 50. The internally weldedangle member 70 which may also be a length of angle iron preventsexcessive deflection in the sides of the track caused by the welght ofthe ejector imposed thereon. This internal support eliminates theundesirable horizontal yaw or horizontal turning of the ejector,heretofore found as the e ector moved through the bowl which permittedearth to slip between the laterally opposite sides of the ejector andthe inslde wall of the bowl causing the ejector to bind and resulting inunnecessary strains to be placed upon the e ector. Also this conditionof having a horizontal yaw as the ejector moves forward through the bowlenables some of the earth which is to be ejected from the bowl to slipcompletely past the ejectors sides falling back into the bowl. Thereforethe reinforced hollow triangular section track provides a positiveorientation of the ejectors rectilinear reciprocating movement throughthe bowl thereby permitting a complete ejection of earth from the bowl.

Heretofore when the ejector has moved forward halfway through the bowl,and/or the weight of the ejector on the track is located between thestructural supports of the track, the track would tend to deflectcausing the ejector to pivot about pin 28 thereby scraping the bottom ofthe bowl. This would result in unnecessary wearing of parts. The anglemember 76 increases the rigidity of the track which prevents anyappreciable deflection in the track so that the lower edge of theejector is maintained flush with the bottom of the bowl. Thus theejector continues to move forward through the bowl without scraping thebottom of the bowl and continues its forward movement until it reachesthe leading cutting edge 21 wherein all of the earth which was containedin the bowl is completely ejected.

To return the ejector to its original position the ram is contracted andthe ejector retraces its forward movement to its original rearwardposition closing the bowl.

In accordance with my invention a hollow triangular section track isfabricated out of standard structural materials and is internallyreinforced by an angle member for preventing excessive deflections inthe track and its sides when the weight of the ejector is imposedthereon.

Thus, this reinforcement of the track eliminates the undesirablehorizontal yaw which prevented a complete ejection of earth from thebowl, and positively orients and maintains the edge of the ejector flushwith the bottom of the bowl so that the edge of the ejector will notscrape the bottom of the bowl and cause unnecessary wearing of parts;

Therefore, this reinforced track gives the scraper industry a. lightweight, rigid, uncluttered, economically produced triangular track whichdoes not interfere with the reciprocating movement of the ejector, andallows a complete and positive ejection of earth from the bowl.

While only one particular embodiment of the applicants invention hasbeen described herein, it should be understood that the applicantsinvention is not to be restricted thereto in that it is intended tocover all modifications of the invention which would be apparent to oneskilled in the art and that come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an earth mover of the type including a bowl andan ejector, a means for mounting said ejector assembly in said bowl forrectilinear reciprocating movement comprising: a longitudinallyextending angle section member forming two adjoining sides of atriangular track; a plate coextensive with said angle member and fixedlyconnected to said two sides to form the third side of said triangulartrack; a second angle section member coextensive with and fixedlyconnected within said track so that three longitudinal edges of saidsecond angle member respectively abut the inner faces of said threesides of the track; support means for fixedly connecting said track tosaid bowl; and a support carriage connected to said ejector assembly andhaving three guide rollers respectively mounted thereon forcomplementary rolling contact with the outer faces of the three sides ofsaid track, the path of rolling contact following along the edges ofsaid second angle section member.

2. In combination with an earth mover of the type including a bowl andan ejector, a means for mounting said ejector assembly in said bowl forrectilinear reciprocating movement comprising: a longitudinallyextending angle section member forming two adjoining sides of atriangular track; a longitudinal plate coextensive with said anglemember and having opposite edges fixedly connected to the outer edges ofsaid two sides thereby forming the third side of said triangular track,said triangular track being oriented so that one of the sides isdisposed in a generally horizontal plane; a second angle section membercoextensive with and fixedly connected within said track so that thethree longitudinal edges of said second angle member respectively abutthe inner faces of said three sides; support means for fixedlyconnecting said track to said bowl, said means including a second platemember being disposed in a vertical plane having one edge coextensivewith and connected on the outside of the track along the edge subtendedby said one side; and a. support carriage connected to said ejectorassembly and having three guide rollers respectively mounted thereon forcomplementary rolling contact with the outer faces of the three sides ofsaid track, the path of said rolling contact following along theabutting edges of said second angle section member.

3. In combination with an earth mover of the type including a bowl andan ejector, a means for mounting said ejector assembly in said bowl forrectilinear reciproeating movement comprising: a first length of angleiron forming two adjoining lower sides of a triangular track; alongitudinal plate coextensive with said angle iron being disposed in ahorizontal plane and having opposite edges welded to the outer edges ofsaid two sides thereby forming the third and upper side of saidtriangular track, a second length of angle iron coextensive with thetrack, the sides of said second angle iron being disposed perpendicularand welded at their outer edges to the sides of said first angle ironwith the heel of said second angle iron abutting the inner face of saidplate; support means for fixedly connecting said track to said bowl,said means including a second plate being disposed in a vertical planeand having one edge coextensive with and welded to the outside of thetrack along the heel of said first angle iron; and a support carriageconnected to said ejector assembly and having three guide rollersrespectively mounted thereon for complementary rolling contact with theouter faces of the three sides of said track, the path of rollingcontact following along the abutting edges and heel of said second angleiron.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,176,666 Cook Oct. 17, 1939 2,383,195 Horman Aug. 21, 1945 2,565,850Hyler et a1. Aug. 28, 1951

